Legal Cannabis, Real Consequences: Maryland Schools Grapple with Teen Use
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It’s been two years since recreational cannabis became legal in Maryland. While revenue has increased and arrests for cannabis possession have decreased, health experts and school officials say there’s an often-overlooked impact — many kids don’t see the drug as risky.
Marijuana legalization has normalized adult use and lessened surrounding stigma. National trends show a decline in cannabis use among kids, but Maryland-specific long-term data isn’t available yet.
A survey conducted about six months after adult-use legalization, however, found that “many Maryland teens think their peers are using more cannabis since adult-use legalization.”
What is clear from the perspectives of teachers and other academic professionals — like Baltimore County Councilman and public high school teacher David Marks — is that they believe more kids are showing up to school under the influence of cannabis.
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